Goals and Objectives

Treatment Study for Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa

Please Help Us Determine Effective Psychosocial Treatments for Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa

The University of Chicago is conducting a five-year NIMH study to evaluate effective outpatient psychological treatments for adolescents with bulimia nervosa.

You are needed if you are between 12 and 19 and have bulimia nervosa.
The study requires that you and your parents be interviewed, fill out questionnaires, and then be assigned to one of two outpatient psychological treatments.
20 outpatient visits will be provided over a 6 month period.

If you are interested and would like more information, please call us at 773-834-5677 or email bulimia@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu .

Aims of the Project

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a disabling eating disorder and affects as many as 2% of young women. It is a major source of psychiatric and medical morbidity that often impairs several areas of functioning. Even more alarming is the fact that BN is occurring with increasing frequency among adolescents and preadolescents. Studies have found 2-5% of adolescent girls surveyed qualify for a diagnosis of BN. Research specific to treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders remains limited. There is no proven treatment for bulimia nervosa in adolescent patients. However, a series of studies from the Maudsley Hospital in London have shown that involving the families in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa have been helpful. A preliminary report from this group has also shown that this approach may be helpful in the treatment of adolescents with BN. The purpose of the present study is to attempt to identify an outpatient psychological treatment that is effective for adolescents with BN.

Participants

The primary participants will be females and males with Bulimia Nervosa. Both parents must also be willing to participate in treatment. Below are the criteria for the patient that must be met to be included in this treatment study.

Primary Subjects

Age: 12-19
Gender: female
Diagnosis: Current Bulimia Nervosa

Parents

Parents must be willing to participate

Procedures

Once the study has been explained to you and your parents, and all your questions have been answered, you and your parents will be asked if you want to continue participating. If so, you will be interviewed and complete questionnaire assessments to confirm that you meet the above inclusion criteria for participation. Your parents will also be interviewed and complete questionnaires.

Treatments

You/your child stand an equal chance of being randomized (a process similar to flipping a coin) to Family Therapy or Individual Therapy. Parents will be required to participate in both treatment modalities, albeit at different intensities.

Family Therapy: Families may be helpful in the treatment of their adolescent children's unhealthy eating habits. In the early part of treatment, parents are assisted in finding their own ways to help their child overcome their unhealthy eating habits. This is done through education about the seriousness of eating disorders, as well as coaching parents about how they may go about taking control of their adolescent's bingeing and purging. Once symptoms are under control, parents will hand eating decisions back to the adolescent. General adolescent issues, such as learning to function more on her own, will be discussed toward the end of treatment.

Individual Therapy: This treatment will contain non-specific elements inherent in psychotherapies for eating disorder patients, e.g., support and education about the medical and psychological consequences of bulimic symptoms. In the treatment plan, bulimic symptoms will be understood in terms of psychological processes. The development of symptoms and the relationship that these symptoms have to aspects of one's personality will be important issues to address in therapy. Parental involvement will not exceed three sessions scheduled at the request of the family throughout treatment.

More Information

If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Kristen Hewell at 773-834-5677 or email bulimia@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu .

Investigator

Daniel le Grange, PhD of the Eating Disorders Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Chicago.